


Starlight

by esm3rald



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, Fantasy, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-01-09 07:43:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esm3rald/pseuds/esm3rald
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabelle is rich and gorgeous and living the perfect California life. Or at least she was until her parents die in a car accident and her perfect little world comes crashing down around her. After making a wish upon a star, she wakes up the morning after in Bella Swan's place. Falling in love with Edward Cullen is inevitable, even if their love seems to be doomed from the start. Twilight rewrite with an OC in Bella's place. No Bella Bashing though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if I changed this story, but I wasn't satisfied with the way it was before. I hope you'll like this new version. And for whomever wants the old version, just send me a message and I'll send it to you.
> 
> STARLIGHT
> 
> Summary:Annabelle is gorgeous, rich, spoiled and living the perfect Malibu life. Or at least she was until her parents die in a car accident and her perfect little world comes crashing down around her. One night, while at her uncle's house in Forks, she makes a wish upon a star and wakes up the next morning as the main character of Twilight. Twilight rewrite with an OC in Bella's place.
> 
> Pairing: Edward/OC.
> 
> This will be a Twilight saga rewrite with Annabelle(my OC and a Twilight reader) in Bella's place. Bella doesn't exist since Annabelle has technically replaced her. And yes, Annabelle will be Edward's singer like Bella and Edward won't be able to read her thoughts just like with Bella, though Annabelle's power will be a little different than Bella's.
> 
> I hope you like my idea. Of course since Annabelle isn't Bella, her reactions to the situations she finds herself in may be different from Bella's reactions, meaning that also the events in the same story may be different from Canon.
> 
> The prologue is set at the beginning of 2006, same as the storyline in Twilight.
> 
> My OC is a little inspired by the character of 'Elena Gilbert' from the books 'The Vampire Diaries', both in physical appearance and personality.
> 
> If some of you are reading my other story 'Lost in the Vampire Diaries', you'll have noticed that the concept is pretty similar. A beautiful, blonde girl - though not a cheerleader this time - ends up in the world of her favorite book - for Annabelle - and TV Show - for Claire -. They also share some similarities in personality and it's also the same actress that I imagine as Annabelle for this story, Amber Heard, the same that I 'used' for Claire. The story will of course be different though since the stories of TVD and Twilight are different.
> 
> I thought about both Blake Lively and Dianna Agron at first to 'give the face' to Annabelle but Blake Lively is more 'hot' than 'beautiful' and Dianna Agron is the opposite - more beautiful than hot -. I needed someone who was both beautiful and hot and Amber Heard is definitely both.
> 
> Annabelle will flirt with Edward a lot and Edward will be physically attracted to her, he will lust for her, not only for her blood. I know that Edward loves Bella in the books but there were never any hints about the fact that he found it difficult to resist her, sexually speaking. I want to show this kind of struggle too without them actually having sex until they are married.
> 
> Disclaimer:I'll say this only once. I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. I'd like to own Edward though... sadly it's not something possible. And of course I don't gain money while writing this story.

 

 

 

_"Star light, star bright,_

_First star I see tonight,_

_I wish I may, I wish I might_

_have the wish I wish tonight"_

**Prologue**

_"And the most horrible I've ever felt in my life came over me. I've never felt so utterly and completely lost" (Elena Gilbert, 'The Awakening')_

It's strange, how easy it is to get used to good things, accept them like they were always meant to be for you, but the moment something bad happens, it's like it's happening to someone else, because how can you accept the fact that is really happening to you, right?

That was exactly how I felt two months ago, when my parents died and my perfect life was suddenly blown to pieces.

It was not just the fact that they had died per se, - though the pain of losing them was sometimes unbearable - there was also all the consequences that their death had brought with it.

After the terrible car accident that had taken my parents away from me, I suddenly started to lose everything else that I thought was important to me.

After I lost everything my family owned because my parents were drowning in debt, my popular, rich and spoiled friends suddenly didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore, my boyfriend found someone else to make out with and from the Queen Bee that I was, I suddenly became the social pariah.

If my uncle hadn't taken me in, I would be left homeless as well as orphaned.

I know what they say, that no life can be really perfect but mine was. Or at least, it was as close to perfect as it could get. Especially because it hadn't always been that way.

Until almost three years ago my life was ordinary. I didn't live in a beautiful villa in California, my parents weren't rich and saying that I wasn't beautiful or popular would be an understatement.

You know the fairy tale about the ugly duckling? That was me in the flesh. Before three years ago I was the epitome of the unpopular teenager. Shy and socially awkward, lanky, with braids, brace, glasses, bad skin and an awful sense of style. You name it, I was it.

Then puberty really hit - I was a late bloomer - and boom, from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. Athletic but curvy figure, beautiful face, golden blonde hair, blue green eyes, fair skin. In a world? Gorgeous.

Yes I know, I still have problems believing it myself sometimes. I happen to have nightmares occasionally about returning to look like I looked before.

Anyway, the physical changes I went through that summer strangely coincide with a change of luck for my whole family too.

My father was a stock broker in Seattle who didn't have as many important clients as he would have liked to. Then suddenly, a CEO of an important company had decided to let my father manage his portfolio and that's how it began. This, paired up with some really good investments my father had made, turned us into very wealthy individuals.

That's when my father decided to move us all in Malibu and buy a villa with swimming pool in front of the beach. Amazing right?

That's when my dream life started. I was suddenly beautiful and rich, in a place where people didn't know who I was or how I looked like before. I could be a completely different person if I wanted to. And so I did, I became sociable and confident and that, paired up with my good looks and the new wealth my family had acquired, bought me a ticket inside the 'In' group at the high school I had just become a student of.

And that's when I started to change. My main goal was to keep the popularity I had suddenly acquired and if that meant becoming the mean girl who bullied the unpopular kids everyone expected me to be then so be it. In short, I became my worst nightmare.

Selfish, shallow, mean, spoiled. These are only a few words that can be used to describe me during these three years. I am not proud of it but that's just who I was then. I thought it was the price I had to pay to be popular and liked. The price I had to pay to have friends for the first time in my life.

What did it matter that I had to become someone I wasn't if it meant keeping my perfect life intact?

I know now that it was all fake. That nothing of what I had never really mattered. My friends weren't really my friends. My boyfriend was never really in love with  _me_  but only with the person I was desperately trying to be, someone that never really existed in the first place. And the wealth my family had acquired was just temporary, the illusion of a moment. Something that had vanished as easily as it had appeared.

I know now that everything I thought I had was just a fantasy. None of it was real beside my loving parents. And I lost them too.

I love my uncle and I'm so grateful to him for having taken me in but part of me misses my life the way it was before. It was a beautiful dream, though a dream nonetheless. A dream I'd woken up from far too early.

I sighed forlornly and took a look at my reflection in the mirror. Aside from the shadows under my eyes and my paler than normal complexion I looked as perfect as usual.

I was sitting at my dressing table in the bedroom I had been using since I started to live with my uncle. It was half the size of the one I had at home but I didn't care. The queen bed was comfy and my uncle had someone built a walk in closet just for me in the place of the broom closet that there was before just next to my room.

The sun had set hours ago and I was about ready for bed. It was Saturday and just a weekend away from the start of the second semester at my new school.

I brushed my hair a few more times and headed towards bed. I wasn't yet sleepy so I decided to read a little before falling asleep.

I started 'Twilight' just yesterday, a book that had come out just last year, and I was already half-way through.

Since I had already read the first four books of 'The Vampire Diaries' series, I was in serious need of a new obsession but of the same genre.

I mean, who didn't love a good love story, especially if the hot male protagonist was a vampire?

Bella Swan - the main character and narrator of Twilight - was a little bland for my tastes but maybe I was a little biased since I certainly had more in common with Elena Gilbert than I had with Bella.

Blonde, popular girl who lost her parents in a car accident? Sounds familiar right?

And yet, there was something about Bella that I could relate to. Maybe it was the fact that no matter where she was or who she was with, she always felt like she didn't belong, not until she met Edward at least.

Anyway, there was a far more shallow reason I decided to start 'Twilight' - beside the presence of hot vampires in it -. My uncle lives in Forks, he is the Chief of Police of this town and his name is Charlie. Oh, yes and my name is Annabelle, Belle for short. Yes, ridiculous, I know, but at least I could pretend for a little while that the words I was reading were actually about my life and not Bella's.

The idea of meeting someone like Edward, someone so perfect and flawed at the same time, someone who loved her so deeply and completely, so intensely. It was certainly compelling. Add this to the fact that not only she had found Edward - the love of her life - but also a new family, someone who accepted her and loved her...

There was certainly a lot of things to envy in Bella's life.

I sighed again and closed my eyes, book resting on my chest, and thought 'I really wish I had Bella Swan's life'. A second later I was falling asleep, not realizing that a shooting star had passed in the sky right in the moment I was making my wish.


	2. Chapter 1 - First Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 1, hope you like it! There are lines taken directly from the Twilight book and the scene with Jacob is taken from the movie. Whatever comments you have about the story, good or bad, please tell me. Feedback is important if I want to improve myself as an author. Just don't leave me flames because I won't consider them.

** **

**Chapter 1**

**First Sight**

_"She'd have him, even if it killed her. If it killed both of them, she'd have him."_

_Elena Gilbert, 'The Awakening'. Chapter 2, p.22_

As soon as I woke up the next morning I realized that something was missing. I had fallen asleep while reading 'Twilight' and now the book was gone. I searched under the bed just in case it had fallen down there but nothing. The book seemed to have vanished into thin air.

I shook my head, thinking that it would turn up sooner or later and I went about my day, taking a shower in the bathroom I had to share with Charlie since it was the only one in the house. Another thing I needed to get used to, sharing a bathroom with someone else. At home, I had a private bathroom.

I changed quickly into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before going downstairs to have breakfast.

I had every intention of enjoying my last free day before starting school tomorrow. To say that I was terrified would be putting it mildly. And how could I not, really? After what had happened at my last school, and the one before that…

I knew that in a town this small, I would be the center of attention tomorrow. I just needed to make sure that it was the good kind of attention. I just hoped the students at Forks High hadn't heard the entire story and all its sordid details.

Charlie had been amazing about me coming to live with him. It hadn't been because he felt sorry for me – though he probably did – but simply because he wanted to help me. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was invading his bachelor house. He was even going to help me get a car since mine had been taken by the taxman like basically everything else I owned. And thank goodness for that because I cringed at just the thought of being seeing around town in a police car, blue and red lights on top included.

Charlie was sipping his coffee when I joined him at the table. I poured a cup for myself and noticed the doughnuts on the table.

"Have you been to the bakery this morning?" I asked with a smile. I loved doughnuts, though I was careful not to eat too much of it since I didn't want to lose my perfect figure. I was vain and I wasn't ashamed to admit it. I knew what it felt like to watch your reflection in the mirror and not liking what you saw and I don't ever want to feel like that ever again.

"Yes, I hope it's okay, I can't really cook…" Charlie said with an awkward scratch of the head.

I laughed "Me neither, though I plan on learning soon because I don't want to eat take out every day, it's very unhealthy..."

"Listen, I found a car for you. I'm sure it's not the kind you're used to but..." Charlie started hesitantly.

"I'm sure it's perfect. Thanks so much, uncle Charlie." I interrupted. Whatever car it was, it didn't matter. The only thing I cared about was that it would drive me where I needed to go.

"Well, it's a truck actually. A Chevy." Charlie continued.

Why did this conversation suddenly sounded awfully familiar? "Where did you find it?" I asked with a sudden feeling of dread.

"Do you remember I talked to you about Billy Black down at La Push?" Charlie asked completely serious.

"What?" I couldn't believe my own ears.

"He's a friend of mine. We used to go fishing together during the summer, before the accident…" Charlie prompted.

"The accident that left him in a wheelchair?" I couldn't help but ask, wanting to make sure what was happening right in front of me was real.

"Ah, so you remember talking with me about it" Charlie said, pleased, then he continued "he can't drive anymore now, of course, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."

It was really happening, I couldn't believe it. "He has a son right? Jacob?" I asked, as the ultimate proof of the fact that I had somehow ended up in Twilight. Was it because of what I wished yesterday?

"Yes, I think he's a little younger than you…" Charlie answered with a smile "But I'm sure you'll get along just fine…"

I smiled too but inside I was freaking out big time. "Do we have to go pick it up in La Push or…?" I asked then, just to distract myself.

"No, no, they'll bring it here, in a little while" Charlie answered.

"Cool" I said with another fake smile. "How much Billy is selling it?" I didn't have a lot of money left, or at all really, but I had a little nest egg that I had put aside thanks to the astronomical pocket money my parents used to give me every month. That would be enough for a car, especially if it was as old as I knew the red Chevy truck was.

"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression.

I was really touched by that but I couldn't accept. He was already doing so much for me. "You didn't need to do that, Uncle Charlie. I was going to buy myself a car. I have enough money for that."

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." I noticed that he was staring fixedly at his cup of coffee while he was saying that, not having the courage to look me in the eye. Charlie wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud.

"That's really nice. Thanks. I really appreciate it." Twilight universe or not, I really loved Charlie.

"Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks.

I suddenly heard the loud noise of an engine coming from outside and both me and Charlie realized that the Blacks had arrived. Charlie was the first to go outside and I followed him at a more sedated pace.

Once out of the house, I immediately noticed the red truck parked in the driveway and whatever doubt I still had left about being in the world of Twilight completely vanished. It was exactly like it was described in the book: 'a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab'.

My attention shifted towards the driver of the car, a sixteen-year-old boy with long hair tied in a ponytail and tanned skin. This was definitely Jacob. He got out of the car and helped his father with his wheelchair. Once the both of them were out of the truck Charlie introduced us.

"Belle, these are Billy and Jacob Black. Billy, Jacob, this is my niece Annabelle."

"Very nice to meet you both" I said with a smile before shaking both their hands.

"So what do you think of your homecoming gift?" Charlie asked me then, hitting the hood of the car with one hand.

"Wow, Charlie, I love it! It's perfect, thanks!" I beamed at him because I really loved it. Definitely not the sport car I was used to drive but I loved it, especially because it was a gift from Charlie. Now my horrific day tomorrow would be just that much less dreadful. I wouldn't be faced with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain to school or accepting a ride in the Chief's cruiser.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again. I smiled.

I rushed to the truck, wanting to try it immediately and Jacob eagerly joined me.

"Okay, so you gotta double pump the clutch when you shift, but…" He gave me the car keys and I started the engine"for the rest, it works like normal"

"You don't go to school here do you?" I asked him, already knowing the answer.

"No, I go to the school at the reservation" Jacob said with an apologetic tone.

"Too bad. It would have been nice, already knowing someone here…" I said a little dejectedly.

"I'm sure you'll be fine" Jacob tried to reassure me.

"I hope so…"

I drove around a little, with Jacob on the passenger seat, trying to familiarize myself with the town and trying to take my mind off what was going to happen tomorrow. If I was really in the Twilight book, and after everything that had already happened it appeared obvious that I was, I would meet Edward tomorrow.

I wondered if the story would stay the same as it was in the book now that I was there. I was not Bella, that was obvious, so would Edward be interested in me? Would my blood have the same effect on Edward that Bella's blood had in the book? And what about my mind? Would he be able to read it? I didn't want him to poke into my thoughts, especially because I didn't want him to know that I knew what he and his family were because of a book.

I was hoping Edward would be interested in me like he was with Bella in the books. Why would I be here otherwise if not to experience what it was like to be loved by Edward Cullen? That was why I made that wish. The only interesting thing about Bella's life was the fact that Edward was in love with her, otherwise I would never wished what I did in the first place. It would be a real disappointment if that won't happen.

What had happened with my boyfriend back in Malibu had certainly scarred me and yet, I was not ready to give up hope. I wanted something deep, meaningful. I know that seems kind of weird for a girl of only seventeen. Usually girls my age didn't search for something more lasting than a few months, a year at the most. They wanted to experiment before really think about something more serious with someone. But I was not like that. I wanted to experience something real and all consuming like that of Bella and Edward. The love that came once in a lifetime. That was why I didn't have sex with my boyfriend though he had certainly tried to pressure me into it. I knew that he was not 'the one' and thank god for that, because now I know I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.

I was so nervous and excited that I didn't sleep well that night.

I pulled the quilt over my head, and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle.

The thick fog outside my window was the only thing I could see the next morning. And of course it was raining. I definitely missed the California weather, though If the Cullens were really here, I would have loved the rain soon enough because rain equaled Edward's presence at school.

Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him and that was that. He left soon after for work and I was left alone in his kitchen. I sipped my coffee slowly and realized with a roll of my eyes that I was stalling.

Did I want to meet Edward today? The answer was obviously so I had better hurry up.

I went up the stairs and placed myself in front of my walking closet, trying to decide what to wear for today.

I wanted to look nice today, though I knew it was silly, both because I'm sure Edward was used to seeing much more beautiful girls than me since nobody, no matter how 'humanely' pretty, could compete with the looks of a vampire, and second, I would attract a lot of attention already and dressing with designer clothes like I used to in California would attract too much attention in a town like this.

In the end, I opted for something simple but flattering, a pair of black skinny jeans that accentuated my curves nicely and a blue cable-knit light sweater that brought out the color of my eyes. A pair of black flat ankle boots completed the ensemble.

My make-up was simple, just a touch of mascara(waterproof) and a touch of eyeliner and lip-gloss.

I looked at the clock and realized that if I didn't leave soon, I was going to be late. I donned my black padded jacket and headed out into the rain.

It was just drizzling, not enough to soak me through immediately as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up.

I reached my truck in a couple of strides, the sloshing of my boots on the grey pavement the only sound in the deserted street. I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood.

Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. The leather seats were comfy if not a little discolored. The engine started quickly but roared loudly, making me jump slightly. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. I turned on the antique radio and sang to the notes of 'Check on It', a Beyonce single that had come out in December of last year.

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop. Like Bella had described it 'It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks.'

I parked in front of the first building visible as soon as I entered that read front office on a small sign over the door. No one else was parked there, so it was probably off limits. I needed directions though, I would have move away as soon as I was done.

I stepped unwillingly out of the truck and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I hesitated a second before opening the door, nervous again.

Inside, the office was bright and warm if not a little small. There was a little waiting area with grey folding chairs while notices and awards were cluttering the walls. A big wall clock was ticking the time loudly, the only sound apart from the rustling of documents and pens scratching on papers. Various potted plants were placed randomly on the orange carpet. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt that clashed horribly with her red hair.

The woman looked up at me with a curious look. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Annabelle, the Chief's niece" I informed her, not wanting to say my full name in case it wasn't 'Stevens' anymore but had somehow changed to Swan since I ended up in the Twilight universe.

I saw immediately the recognition in her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt. The rich daughter of the Chief of police's brother who died less than two months ago in a tragic car accident and left his daughter basically destitute. I gritted my teeth but that was the only gesture of irritation I conceded myself.

"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school."

She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I was hoping the same thing so I smiled back as brightly as I could.

When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were old like mine, nothing flashy. I noticed immediately the shiny Volvo that stood out like a diamond in a bed of rocks, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. He was really here. I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.

I took a deep breath, trying to relax even If I knew it was a useless attempt. I decided to study the map a little, to avoid being stuck with it all day under my nose, and my schedule. I immediately checked if I had Biology after lunch and smiled like an idiot when I saw it there. As soon I as I was done I put everything carefully inside my bag and slung the strap over my shoulder. I knew I was being stupid. Being this nervous over this was stupid. Nobody was going to bite me – unless Edward decided to kill me, which, I really hope he wouldn't. I rolled my eyes and finally descended the truck and reached the sidewalk brimming with teenagers.

Once over the cafeteria, building 3 was easy to spot. I stopped in front of the door for a millisecond and then entered the classroom, head held high.

The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them. They were two girls, one a porcelain-colored blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair.

I gave the slip to sign to the balding man in front of his desk. The nametag in his desk identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at me when I introduced myself and I smiled back at him, feeling awkward. Luckily for me, he indicated a desk for me to sit, at the back of the class, where my new classmates - each one with varying degrees of curiosity on their faces - would have found it difficult to stare at me, even if somewhat they manage. I kept my eyes fixedly on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. I'd already read everything. That was comforting… and boring. I wondered if I perchance packed my old essays too in between the chaos that was my bags - I had still two big bags full of books I hadn't still emptied out - but then decided that it was kind of cheating and I resigned myself to avoid even looking for them.

When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as petroleum turned to look at me. His stare was a little unnerving but I didn't comment on it.

"You're Annabelle Swan, aren't you?" He introduced himself as Eric Yorkie, though I already figured that out. So, my surname had changed to Swan, I wasn't really surprised.

"Just Belle." I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me. Eric looked at me confused. "I prefer to be called Belle." I explained further.

"Where's your next class?" he asked.

I had to check in my bag. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."

"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…"

I smiled tentatively because I really needed the help. "Thanks."

Outside the rain had picked up. I curled up a little in my jacket but it was my face who took the brunt of it. Thank God for waterproof mascara or I would look like a panda by now.

Eric walked me right to the door, all the while trying to keep me interested in the conversation, something in which he wasn't having much luck. I didn't mean to be rude, my mind tended to wander on her own volition, without my express permission. I answered his questions about the difference between Malibu and Forks nonetheless.

The rest of the morning passed in much the same way. At the end of each class there was always someone eager to escort me around, most of them boys.

My Trigonometry teacher - Mr. Varner - was fortunately the only one who forced me to stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I smiled my perkiest smile and in general avoided making a fool out of myself.

One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. I knew immediately that she was Jessica Stanley, the description in the book -'tiny but with wildly curly dark hair'-making it obvious for me to recognize her. I smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes. It seemed she didn't need much encouragement, she was perfectly capable of keep a conversation going all by herself.

We sat at the end of a table full of all her friends. They all introduced themselves to me but I couldn't seem to remember any of their names. Eric waved at me from across the room.

I tried to pay attention to the conversations going on around me but my attention was soon captured by the five people that were making their way inside the cafeteria right in that moment.

They were walking in pair: first Alice and Jasper, then Emmett and Rosalie and finally him, Edward Cullen.

I looked at them with awe because they were even more perfect that I had ever imagined. Words weren't enough to describe them, especially Edward and Rosalie.

Alice was cute, with pixie hair and light as a feather. Emmett muscular and big like a football player. Jasper, honey blonde hair and expression of pain on his face. Rosalie, beautiful and perfect like a Victoria's Secret's model. And finally Edward, copper hair in perpetual disarray and angular face that seemed sculpted by Michelangelo.

They went to sit together in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away as possible from the other tables and in all that time, I didn't stop looking at them once.

"Who are they?" I finally asked Jessica, though I already knew the answer.

Jessica looked up in the direction I was staring, trying to understand who I was referring to, even if it was safe to say she already knew, when Edward looked a fraction of a second in her direction and then his dark stare shifted towards me.

He looked away almost immediately, much to my disappointment, but that moment when our eyes clashed, I felt a bolt of electricity passing through my body.

His face in that brief moment in which I saw it, was completely disinterested. I knew that he had heard his name being called in Jessica's mind and had involuntarily lifted his head to answer.

My neighbor giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did.

"That's Edward, Alice and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. They all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said this under her breath.

I glanced sideways at his beautiful face again, but he was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers, none of those reaching his mouth. The aforementioned mouth was instead moving very quickly, his perfect lips barely opening. The other four still looked away, and yet I knew he was speaking quietly to them.

"They are uncommonly good looking." I commented then, wanting to prompt Jessica to give me some other information about them, though I probably knew more than her.

"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all _together_  though — Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they _live_  together." She continued in a shocked voice but I barely stared at her without expression.

"But they're not really related, are they, so what's the problem?"

"Oh, well, I guess it's weird because they live together..." Jessica replied in slight embarrassment "Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales _are_  brother and sister, twins — the blondes — and they're foster children."

"How old are they? They look a little old for foster children." I asked, just to keep the conversation going. I knew it would appear strange if I didn't ask question about them.

"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that."

"That's really nice for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything."

"I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly. "I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added and I refrained from rolling my eyes just barely or insult Jessica's narrow mindness because it wasn't something smart to do, make enemies on my first day.

During this entire conversation my eyes had, almost constantly, flicked to them, practically of their own volition. I couldn't seem to look away.

"Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked, knowing they hadn't.

"No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."

As I examined them Edward looked up and met my gaze again, this time with evident curiosity in his expression. I couldn't help but smile at him flirtatiously. He frowned and looked away, an expression of frustration on his face. He probably couldn't read my thoughts. At least, I hoped he couldn't.

"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I asked, noticing that he was once again looking at me.

"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." She exclaimed with a sour look on her face. I wondered when he'd turned her down.

I bit my lip to hide my smile. Then I glanced at him again. His face was turned away, but his cheek was lifted. He was probably smiling too, having heard Jessica's comment.

A few minutes later, the five of them stood up together and left the room. I missed immediately their presence but I knew what was coming next. I wondered if my blood sang to him and if I should just skip biology but I knew I couldn't. I trusted Edward not to hurt me, though I planned on staying as immobile as possible during class. If the two of us were really supposed to be together, Edward needed to get used to my scent like with Bella's.

Soon after even the group I was sitting with stood up and scattered away towards their lessons. One of my new acquaintances, the shy Angela, offered to walk with me towards Biology since we shared the same class. I tried to do small talk to make her feel comfortable but it was not exactly easy, she was really shy.

Once inside the classroom, Angela went to sit at a black-topped lab table like the ones I was used to. Like I was expecting all the tables were occupied expect for the one next to Edward Cullen at the center aisle. I breathed deeply and tried to calm my heartbeat.

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him from the corner of my eye. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. That was all the confirmation I needed.

He stared at me again, this time with a hostile, furious expression on his beautiful face. I looked away quickly, a little bothered by his stare though I knew the reason why. His eyes had become black — coal black.

I reached the desk where the teacher - Mr Banner - sat and gave him the slip to sign. He handed me a book in return and indicated for me to sit in the only open seat in the middle of the room. I reached the desk without looking at him, and once I sat down I tried to move as little as possible, trying to stay as far away from him as while sharing the same table.

I set my book on the table and immediately noticed his posture becoming even more rigid. He was leaning away from me, sitting at the extreme edge of his chair, his face was facing away from me. I turned my head the other way and tried to pay attention to the teacher, trying to forget the fact that I was sitting next to a vampire who thirsted for my blood.

Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking the other way.

I couldn't help but look at him from time to time, from the corner of my eye, a little scared he would attack me but having faith in his self-restraint nonetheless.

I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows and I could perfectly see the hard muscles underneath.

The class seemed to drag on forever. I knew Edward had stopped breathing and I tried to calm my heartbeat even more because I knew he could hear it. I was moving as little as possible, just moving my hand to take notes, but it was difficult and uncomfortable staying in one position for such a long time.

I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. I flinched away from him, involuntary, the phrase _if looks could kill_  suddenly ran through my mind. The fact that what was running through his mind was probably the many ways he could kill me didn't help me calm down.

As soon as the bell rang, Edward had rose fluidly from his chair, his back to me, and he was out the door in a flash, before anyone else had even risen from their seats. I breathed a sigh of relief and collected my things as fast as possible, happy he hadn't killed me.

"Aren't you Annabelle Swan?" a male voice asked, distracting me from thoughts of Edward.

I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. Mike Newton.

"Belle" I corrected him, with a smile.

"I'm Mike."

"Hi, Mike." I said with a large smile.

"Do you need any help finding your next class?"

I looked at my schedule "I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small.

We walked to the gym together, Mike supplying most of the conversation but it was okay. I wasn't really in the mood to chat. He said he'd lived in California too until he was ten so he knew exactly how I felt about the sun. It turned out he was in my English class also. He was the nicest person I'd met today.

But as we were entering the gym, he asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."

"I don't know what happened" I replied, faking obliviousness.

"He looked like he was in pain or something."

"I don't know." I responded. "I never even spoke to him."

"He's a weird guy." Mike lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

I smiled a little uncomfortably at his flirting before walking through the girls' locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. But he wasn't Edward Cullen.

The Gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class. At home, only two years of RE. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years. I didn't mind so much, I was rather good at sports.

I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously, wishing I was playing with them.

The final bell rang at last. I left the gym quickly and headed towards the office to return my paperwork. It had stopped raining for the time being but the wind was strong and cold. I wrapped my arms around myself.

Once inside the warm office, I stopped in my tracks, having completely forgotten that Edward would be there.

He stood at the desk in front of me. I recognized immediately that tousled bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free.

He was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice, trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to any other time, so he could stay away from me. I had to admit that that hurt a little, though I knew the reason why.

Suddenly the door opened again, the wind gusting through the room, rustling the papers on the desk and swirling my hair around my face.

Edward's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me — his face absurdly handsome — with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear running through my body, afraid he was going to attack me after all. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind. He turned back to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door.

I walked slowly to the desk and handed her the signed slip. I was half-tempted to turn around and face him, to tell him that I was sorry, though I knew I couldn't help how my blood smelled like. But I knew that it was dangerous, that  _he_  was dangerous so I let him go, already missing him because I knew he would be gone a week, in Denali with Tanya. The idea irritated me to say the least but I couldn't do anything about it, if not wait for him to return.

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.

"Okay" I said with a shrug of my shoulders. 'I'm not dead, so it's a plus…' I thought to myself.

When I got inside the truck - the last one left in the parking lot - an involuntary sigh of relief escaped my lips. I sat inside for a while, trying to calm my racing heart. I was soon cold though so I turned up the heater. I turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. I headed back to Charlie's house, a pair of dark, terrifying eyes glued to my thoughts all the way there.


	3. Chapter 1 - First Sight (Edward)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter completely from Edward's POV. It's taken almost completely from the first chapter of 'Midnight Sun' and modified when it was necessary to fit Annabelle into the story. Hope you like it!

** **

**Chapter 1 (Edward)**

**First Sight**

This was the time of day when I wished I was able to sleep.

High school.

Or was purgatory the right word? If there was any way to atone for my sins, maybe this was it. Every day seemed more impossibly monotonous than the last and the dullness of it all was not something I will ever get used to.

I suppose it could be called my form of sleep, if the inert state between moments of activitness could be called that.

I stared at the cracks on the wall, finding patterns that were not really there, just as a way to block the myriad of voices flowing through my mind like a river. Several of those voices I ignored out of boredom.

When it came to the human mind, I've already heard it all. Today, everyone's thoughts were consumed by the news of a new addition to the small student body here. It really took little to excite them. I'd seen the new face repeated in thought after thought from every angle. Though admittedly, she was more physically appealing than most, she was still just an ordinary human girl. The excitement over her arrival was tiresomely predictable, like flashing a shiny object in front of a child. The male population believed themselves half in love with her already just because she was new and attractive. I tried harder to tune them out.

Only four voices I blocked out of courtesy rather than distaste: my family, two brothers and two sisters, who were so used to the lack of privacy in my presence that they rarely give it a thought. I gave them what privacy I could, trying not to listen If I could help it. Though, try as I may...I knew anyway.

Rosalie was thinking about herself as usual. She had caught sight of her own reflection in someone's glass and she was mulling over her own perfection. Rosalie's mind was a shallow pool with few surprises.

Emmett was still fuming over a wrestling match he had lost to Jasper last night. He was waiting impatiently for the day to be over to organize a rematch. I didn't feel intrusive hearing Emmett's thoughts because whatever he thought, he usually said or put into action. Maybe the only reason I felt guilty reading the others' minds was because I knew there things that they would prefer to keep private. If Rosalie's mind was a shallow pool, then Emmett's was a lake with no shadows, glass clear.

Jasper was...struggling. I suppressed a sigh.

'Edward' Alice called my name in her head and had my immediate attention.

It was the same as having my name called aloud. I was glad my given name had fallen out of style lately. It had been annoying that anytime anyone had thought the name Edward, I would turn my head automatically.

My head didn't turn now. Alice and I were very good at these kind of private conversations. It was rare than anyone caught us. I kept my eyes on the wall.

'How is he holding up?' she asked me.

I frowned slighly, nothing that would tip my family that something was off. For all they knew, I was frowing out of boredom.

Alice's thoughts became alarmed and I saw in her mind that she was searching for Jasper in the immediate future, in case of any danger. She skimmed through monotonous visions in search of the reason behind my frown.

I turned my head slowly to the left, sighed, then to the right. Only Alice would know that I was shaking my head.

She relaxed immediately 'Let me know if it gets too bad'.

I moved only my eyes, up to the ceiling above, and back down.

'Thanks for doing this.'

I was glad I couldn't answer aloud because I don't know what I would say in return. 'My Pleasure'? It was hardly that since I didn't enjoy listening to Jasper's thoughts.

Was it really a good idea to flirt with disaster like this? Wouldn't it be better to just admit that Jasper would probably never be able to handle the thirst like the rest of us and not push his limits like this?

It had been two weeks since our last hunting trip. That was not such a terrible amount of time for the rest of us. The thirst would become a little uncomfortable on occasion, if a human walked too close, but in general humans tended to stay far away from us, probably sensing the danger unconsciously.

Jasper was very dangerous right now.

Just that moment, a girl paused at the end of a table closest to ours to talk to a friend. She tossed her short, sandy hair, running her fingers through it. The heaters blew her scent in our direction and I immediately felt the dry ache in my throat and the excess flow of venom in my mouth, my stomach contracting in hunger.

This was all quite normal, usually easy to ignore. It was harder just now, with the feelings stronger, doubled, as I monitored Jasper's reaction. Twin thirsts, rather than just mine.

Jasper was letting his imagination run rampant. He pictured himself standing up, going closer to the girl, leaning down to whisper in her ear, letting his lips touch her throat. Imagining how the hot flow of her pulse beneath the skin would feel like under his mouth...

I kicked his chair.

He met my gaze for a minute, and then looked down, shame and rebellion warring in his head.

"Sorry," Jasper muttered.

I shrugged.

"You weren't going to do anything," Alice murmured to him, soothingly. "I could see that."

I tried not grimace at the blatant lie. We had to stick together, Alice and I. Me, a mind reader, Alice that could see the future. We were freaks among freaks. We protected each other's secrets.

"It helps if you think of them as people and not as food…" Alice suggested. "Her name is Whitney. She has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited Esme to the garden party, remember?"

"I know who she is," Jasper said curtly, turning his face towards one of the windows, his tone ending the conversation.

He needed to hunt tonight. It was stupid to take risks like this, even if it was to try to test his strenght and endurance. Jasper should just accept his limitations and work within them, not push himself this way.

'Edward Cullen'.

I turned to the sound of my name being called reflexively, though it wasn't being called, just thought.

My eyes locked for a small portion of a second with a pair of wide, blue-green human eyes set in a sun-kissed, oval face. I knew the face, though I'd never seen it myself before this moment. It had been foremost in every human head today. The new student, Annabelle Swan. Daughter of the town's chief of police's brother, brought to live here after her parents' tragic death. Belle. She'd corrected everyone who'd used her full name...

She was beautiful, even I could admit that. Probably as beautiful as Rosalie had been when she was human, maybe even more so. And I was ready to bet her personality was similar to Rosalie's too. I could just imagine it. Mean, spoiled, self-centered...

I looked away immediately. It took me a second to realize that she had not been the one to think my name.

'Of course she's already crushing on the Cullens,' I heard the first thought continue.

Now I recognized the 'voice'. Jessica Stanley. It had been a while since she'd bothered me with her internal chatter. What a relief it had been when she'd gotten over her misplaced infatuation. It used to be nearly impossible to escape her constant, ridiculous daydreams. I'd wished, at the time, that I could explain to her exactly what would have happened if my lips, and the teeth behind them, had gotten anywhere near her. That would have silenced those annoying fantasies. The thought of her reaction almost made me smile.

'Fat lot of good it will do her,' Jessica went on. 'She's really not all that pretty. I really don't know why Eric is staring so much...or Mike.' She winced mentally on the last name. Her new infatuation, the generically popular Mike Newton, was completely oblivious to her. Though he was definitely not as oblivious to the new girl. Like the child with the shiny object again. 'Must be because she's blonde. Boys always like blondes better…' She continued in her mind.

There was a mean edge to Jessica's thoughts, brought on by jealousy, though she was outwardly cordial to the newcomer as she explained to her what was common knowledge about my family. The new student must have asked about us.

'Everyone's looking at me today, too,' Jessica thought smugly. 'Isn't it lucky Belle had two classes with me...I'll bet Mike will want to ask me what she's…'

I tried to block the inane chatter out of my head again before the petty and the trivial could drive me mad.

"Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullen clan," I murmured to Emmett as a distraction.

He chuckled under his breath. 'I hope she's making it good,' he thought.

"Rather unimaginative, actually. Just the barest hint of scandal. Not an ounce of horror. I'm a little disappointed."

'And the new girl? Is she disappointed in the gossip as well?'

I listened to hear what this new girl, Belle, thought of Jessica's story. What did she see when she looked at the strange, chalky-skinned family that was universally avoided?

It was sort of my responsibility to know her reaction. I acted as a lookout, for lack of a better word, for my family. To protect us. If anyone ever grew suspicious, I could give us early warning and an easy retreat. It happened occasionally-some human with an active imagination would see in us the characters of a book or a movie. Usually they got it wrong, but it was better to move on somewhere new than to risk scrutiny.

Very, very rarely, someone would guess right. We didn't give them a chance to test their hypothesis. We simply disappeared, to become no more than a frightening memory...

I heard nothing, though I listened carefully for the mind belonging to the human next to Jessica. It was as if that seat was empty. How strange, had the girl moved? That seemed unlikely, as Jessica was still babbling to her. I looked up to check, feeling off-balance. Checking on what my extra `hearing' could tell me-it wasn't something I ever had to do.

Again, my gaze locked on those same wide blue-green eyes. She was sitting right where she had been before, and looking at us, a natural thing to be doing, I supposed, as Jessica was still regaling her with the local gossip about the Cullens.

Thinking about us, too, would be natural.

But I couldn't hear a whisper.

I was surprised when, instead of looking away in embarrassment at being caught staring, the girl smiled back at me flirtatiously. I turned away immediately and frowned at my plate, not understanding my reaction at her boldness. I felt…unsettled, out-of-balance but also curious and intrigued? Jasper looked at me strangely, probably feeling the strange mix of emotions this strange human girl had provoked in me.

The emotions in her face had been easy to read. She didn't appear particularly surprised, strangely enough, though she had probably noticed the differences between her kind and mine. There was definitely fascination in her gaze though. It wouldn't be the first time. We were beautiful to them, our intended prey.

And yet, though her thoughts had been so clear in her deep blue-green eyes, I could hear nothing but silence from the place she was sitting. Nothing at all.

I felt a moment of unease.

This was nothing I'd ever encountered before. Was there something wrong with me? I felt exactly the same as I always did. Worried, I listened harder.

All the voices I'd been blocking were suddenly shouting in my head.

'...wonder what music she likes...maybe I could mention that new CD...' Mike Newton was thinking, two tables away, fixated on Belle Swan.

'Look at him staring at her. Isn't it enough that he has half the girls in school waiting for him to...' Eric Yorkie was thinking sulfurous thoughts, also revolving around the girl.

'...so disgusting. You'd think she was famous or something... Even Edward Cullen is staring at her...' Lauren Mallory was so jealous that her face, by all rights, should be dark jade in color. 'And Jessica, flaunting her new best friend. What a joke...' Vitriol continued to spew from the girl's thoughts.

'...I bet everyone has asked her that. But I'd like to talk to her. I'll think of a more original question...' Ashley Dowling mused.

'...maybe she'll be in my Spanish...' June Richardson hoped.

'...tons left to do tonight! Trig, and the English test. I hope my mom...' Angela Weber, a quiet girl, whose thoughts were unusually kind, was the only one at the table who wasn't obsessed with this Belle.

I could hear them all, hear every insignificant thing they were thinking as it passed through their minds. But nothing at all from the new student with the deceptively communicative eyes.

And, of course, I could hear what the girl said when she spoke to Jessica. I didn't have to read minds to be able to hear her voice on the far side of the long room.

"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I heard her ask and noticed she was looking at me again.

If I'd had time to hope that hearing the sound of her voice would help me pinpoint the tone of her thoughts, lost somewhere where I couldn't access them, I was instantly disappointed. Usually, people's thoughts came to them in a similar pitch as their physical voices. But this particular voice was unfamiliar, not one of the hundreds of thoughts bouncing around the room, I was sure of that because I would definitely remembered a voice like her. It was low and husky – seductive even - the kind of voice that men wanted to hear while in bed.

I was definitely surprised by the direction my thoughts had taken. It wasn't like me at all to make those kind of considerations towards a female, a human girl at that.

'Oh, good luck, idiot!' Jessica thought before answering the girl's question. "That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." She sniffed.

I turned my head away to hide my smile. Jessica and her classmates had no idea how lucky they were that none of them particularly appealed to me.

Beneath the transient humor, I felt a strange impulse, one I did not clearly understand. It had something to do with the vicious edge to Jessica's thoughts that the new girl was unaware of... I felt the strangest urge to step in between them, to shield this Belle Swan from the darker workings of Jessica's mind. What an odd thing to feel. Especially because, if she was the kind of girl I thought she was, she must be used to power games between mean girls. I doubt I had any need to protect her from Jessica. Trying to ferret out the motivations behind the impulse, I examined the new girl one more time.

She didn't look particularly fragile, no more fragile than any normal human anyway. Her skin was golden, tanned, surely the remaining effects of the California sun she had been used to until a few days ago. I could still perfectly see the rhythmic pulse of blood through her veins under her skin... But I should not concentrate on that. I was good at this life I'd chosen, but I was just as thirsty as Jasper and there was no point in inviting temptation.

There was a faint crease between her eyebrows that she seemed unaware of.

I could clearly see – though that surprised me - that it was a strain for her to sit there and being the center of attention, though she was hiding it well. Maybe I had misjudged her. Maybe she was not the typical beautiful, blonde, high school girl, maybe she was actually different from the usual mean girls I was so used to.

It was unbelievably frustrating! I could only sense, could only see, could only imagine. There was nothing but silence from the human girl. I could hear nothing. Why?

"Shall we?" Rosalie murmured, interrupting my focus.

I looked away from the girl with a sense of relief. I didn't want to continue to fail at this, it irritated me. And I didn't want to develop any interest in her hidden thoughts simply because they were hidden from me. No doubt, when I did decipher her thoughts - and I would find a way to do so - they would be just as petty and trivial as any human's thoughts. Not worth the effort I would expend to reach them.

"So, is the new one afraid of us yet?" Emmett asked, still waiting for my response to his question before.

I shrugged. He wasn't interested enough to press for a more information. Nor should I be interested.

We got up from the table and walked out of the cafeteria.

Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were pretending to be seniors; they left for their classes. Me and Alice were playing a younger role than they. Alice left for Arts Class and I headed off for my junior level biology class, preparing my mind for the tedium. It was doubtful Mr. Banner, a man of no more than average intellect, would manage to pull out anything in his lecture that would surprise someone holding two graduate degrees in medicine.

In the classroom, I settled into my chair and let my books spill across the table. I was the only student who had a table to himself. The humans weren't smart enough to know that they feared me, but their survival instincts were enough to keep them away.

The room slowly filled as they trickled in from lunch. I leaned back in my chair and waited for the time to pass. Again, I wished I was able to sleep.

Because I'd been thinking about her, when Angela Weber escorted the new girl through the door, her name intruded on my attention.

'Belle seems so nice, nothing like I was expecting from someone who looks like her.' There was definitely admiration now in the tone of Angela's thoughts.

'Yes!' Mike Newton thought, turning in his seat to watch the girls enter.

Still, from the place where Annabelle Swan stood, nothing. The empty space where her thoughts should be irritated and unnerved me.

She came closer, walking down the aisle beside me to get to the teacher's desk. Poor girl; the seat next to me was the only one available. Automatically, I cleared what would be her side of the desk, shoving my books into a pile. I doubted she would feel very comfortable there. She was in for a long semester-in this class, at least. Perhaps, though, sitting beside her, I'd be able to flush out her secrets...not that I'd ever needed close proximity before...not that I would find anything worth listening to...

Belle Swan walked into the flow of the heated air that blew toward me from the vent.

Her scent hit me like wrecking ball, like a battering ram. There was no image violent enough to encapsulate the force of what happened to me in that moment.

In that instant, I was nothing close to the human I'd once been; no trace of the shreds of humanity I'd managed to cloak myself in remained.

I was a predator. She was my prey. There was nothing else in the whole world but that truth.

There was no room full of witnesses-they were already collateral damage in my head. The mystery of her thoughts was forgotten. Her thoughts meant nothing, for she would not go on thinking them much longer.

I was a vampire, and she had the sweetest blood I'd smelled in eighty years.

I hadn't imagined such a scent could exist. If I'd known it did, I would have gone searching for it long ago. I would have combed the planet for her. I could imagine the taste...

Thirst burned through my throat like fire. My mouth was baked and desiccated. The fresh flow of venom did nothing to dispel that sensation. My stomach twisted with the hunger that was an echo of the thirst. My muscles coiled to spring.

Not a full second had passed. She was still taking the same step that had put her downwind from me.

As her foot touched the ground, her eyes slid toward me, a movement she clearly meant to be stealthy. Her glance met mine, and I saw myself reflected in the wide mirror of her eyes.

The shock of the face I saw there saved her life for a few thorny moments.

The scent was a thick haze in my brain. I could barely think through it. My thoughts raged, resisting control, incoherent.

She walked more quickly now, as if she understood the need to escape.

I tried to focus on the face I'd seen in her eyes, a face I recognized with revulsion. The face of the monster in me-the face I'd beaten back with decades of effort and uncompromising discipline. How easily it sprang to the surface now!

The scent swirled around me again, scattering my thoughts and nearly propelling me out of my seat.

No.

My hand gripped under the edge of the table as I tried to hold myself in my chair. The wood was not up to the task. My hand crushed through the strut and came away with a palmful of splintered pulp, leaving the shape of my fingers carved into the remaining wood.

Destroy evidence. That was a fundamental rule. I quickly pulverized the edges of the shape with my fingertips, leaving nothing but a ragged hole and a pile of shavings on the floor, which I scattered with my foot.

Destroy evidence. Collateral damage...

I knew what had to happen now. The girl would have to come sit beside me, and I would have to kill her.

The innocent bystanders in this classroom, eighteen other children and one man, could not be allowed to leave this room, having seen what they would soon see.

I flinched at the thought of what I must do. Even at my very worst, I had never committed this kind of atrocity. I had never killed innocents, not in over eight decades. And now I planned to slaughter twenty of them at once.

The face of the monster in the mirror mocked me.

Even as part of me shuddered away from the monster, another part was planning it.

If I killed the girl first, I would have only fifteen or twenty seconds with her before the humans in the room would react. Maybe a little bit longer, if at first they did not realize what I was doing. She would not have time to scream or feel pain; I would not kill her cruelly. That much I could give this stranger with her horribly desirable blood.

But then I would have to stop them from escaping. I wouldn't have to worry about the windows, too high up and small to provide an escape for anyone. Just the door-block that and they were trapped.

It would be slower and more difficult, trying to take them all down when they were panicked and scrambling, moving in chaos. Not impossible, but there would be much more noise. Time for lots of screaming. Someone would hear...and I'd be forced to kill even more innocents in this black hour.

And her blood would cool, while I murdered the others.

The scent punished me, closing my throat with dry aching...

So the witnesses first then.

I mapped it out in my head. I was in the middle of the room, the furthest row in the back. I would take my right side first. I could snap four or five of their necks per second, I estimated. It would not be noisy. The right side would be the lucky side; they would not see me coming. Moving around the front and back up the left side, it would take me, at most, five seconds to end every life in this room.

Long enough for Belle Swan to see, briefly, what was coming for her. Long enough for her to feel fear. Long enough, maybe, if shock didn't freeze her in place, for her to work up a scream. One soft scream that would not bring anyone running.

I took a deep breath, and the scent was a fire that raced through my dry veins, burning out from my chest to consume every better impulse that I was capable of.

She was just turning now. In a few seconds, she would sit down inches away from me.

The monster in my head smiled in anticipation.

Someone slammed shut a folder on my left. I didn't look up to see which of the doomed humans it was. But the motion sent a wave of ordinary, unscented air wafting across my face.

For one short second, I was able to think clearly. In that precious second, I saw two faces in my head, side by side.

One was mine, or rather had been: the red-eyed monster that had killed so many people that I'd stop counting their numbers. Rationalized, justified murders. A killer of killers, a killer of other, less powerful monsters. It was a god complex, I acknowledged that-deciding who deserved a death sentence. It was a compromise with myself. I had fed on human blood, but only by the loosest definition. My victims were, in their various dark pastimes, barely more human than I was.

The other face was Carlisle's.

There was no resemblance between the two faces. They were bright day and blackest night.

There was no reason for there to be a resemblance. Carlisle was not my father in the basic biological sense. We shared no common features. The similarity in our coloring was a product of what we were; every vampire had the same ice pale skin. The similarity in the color of our eyes was another matter-a reflection of a mutual choice.

And yet, though there was no basis for a resemblance, I'd imagined that my face had begun to reflect his, to an extent, in the last seventy-odd years that I had embraced his choice and followed in his steps. My features had not changed, but it seemed to me like some of his wisdom had marked my expression, that a little of his compassion could be traced in the shape of my mouth, and hints of his patience were evident on my brow.

All those tiny improvements were lost in the face of the monster. In a few moments, there would be nothing left in me that would reflect the years I'd spent with my creator, my mentor, my father in all the ways that counted. My eyes would glow red as a devil's; all likeness would be lost forever.

In my head, Carlisle's kind eyes did not judge me. I knew that he would forgive me for this horrible act that I would do. Because he loved me. Because he thought I was better than I was. And he would still love me, even as I now proved him wrong.

Belle Swan sat down in the chair next to me, as far away from me as possible, her movements stiff and awkward - with fear? - and the scent of her blood bloomed in an inexorable cloud around me.

I would prove my father wrong about me. The misery of this fact hurt almost as much as the fire in my throat.

I leaned away from her in revulsion-revolted by the monster aching to take her.

Why did she have to come here? Why did she have to exist? Why did she have to ruin the little peace I had in this non-life of mine? Why had this aggravating human ever been born? She would ruin me.

I turned my face away from her, as a sudden fierce, unreasoning hatred washed through me.

Who was this creature? Why me, why now? Why did I have to lose everything just because she happened to choose this unlikely town to appear in?

Why had she come here!

I didn't want to be the monster! I didn't want to kill this room full of harmless children! I didn't want to lose everything I'd gained in a lifetime of sacrifice and denial!

I wouldn't. She couldn't make me.

The scent was the problem, the hideously appealing scent of her blood. If there was only some way to resist...if only another gust of fresh air could clear my head.

I noticed with something akin to surprise through the daze of my murderous thoughts that she was almost immobile in her chair, her head turned away from me while taking notes carefully. A wave of gratitude overcame the hate I felt towards her for a second. She was perceptive enough of the danger near her that she had stopped moving.

My thoughts calmed down for a second and I realized that yes, the scent was the problem, but I didn't have to breath.

I stopped the flow of air through my lungs; the relief was instantaneous, but incomplete. I still had the memory of the scent in my head, the taste of it on the back of my tongue. I wouldn't be able to resist even that for long. But perhaps I could resist for an hour. One hour. Just enough time to get out of this room full of victims, victims that maybe didn't have to be victims. If I could resist for one short hour.

It was an uncomfortable feeling, not breathing. My body did not need oxygen, but it went against my instincts. I relied on scent more than my other senses in times of stress. It led the way in the hunt, it was the first warning in case of danger. I did not often came across something as dangerous as I was, but self-preservation was just as strong in my kind as it was in the average human.

Uncomfortable, but manageable. More bearable than smelling her and not sinking my teeth through that perfect, sun-kissed skin to the hot, wet, pulsing…

An hour! Just one hour. I must not think of the scent, the taste.

The silent girl kept her long, golden hair between us, leaning forward so that it spilled across her folder. I couldn't see her face, to try to read the emotions in her clear, deep eyes. Was this why she'd let her tresses fan out between us? To hide those eyes from me? Out of fear? To keep her secrets from me?

My former irritation at being stymied by her soundless thoughts was weak and pale in comparison to the need-and the hate-that possessed me now. For I hated this frail woman-child beside me, hated her with all the fervor with which I clung to my former self, my love of my family, my dreams of being something better than what I was... Hating her, hating how she made me feel-it helped a little. Yes, the irritation I'd felt before was weak, but it, too, helped a little. I clung to any emotion that distracted me from imagining what she would taste like...

Hate and irritation. Impatience. Would the hour never pass?

And when the hour ended... Then she would walk out of this room. And I would do what?

I could introduce myself. Hello, my name is Edward Cullen. May I walk you to your next class?

She would say yes. It would be the polite thing to do. Even already fearing me, as I suspected she did, she would follow convention and walk beside me. It should be easy enough to lead her in the wrong direction. A spur of the forest reached out like a finger to touch the back corner of the parking lot. I could tell her I'd forgotten a book in my car...

Would anyone notice that I was the last person she'd been seen with? It was raining, as usual; two dark raincoats heading the wrong direction wouldn't pique too much interest, or give me away.

Except that I was not the only student who was aware of her today-though no one was as blisteringly aware as I was. Mike Newton, in particular, was conscious of every slight shift in her weight - she was uncomfortable so close to me, just as anyone would be, just as I'd expected before her scent had destroyed all charitable concern. Mike Newton would notice if she left the classroom with me.

If I could last an hour, could I last two?

I flinched at the pain of the burning.

She would go home to an empty house. Police Chief Swan worked a full day. I knew his house, as I knew every house in the tiny town. His home was nestled right up against thick woods, with no close neighbors. Even if she had time to scream, which she would not, there would be no one to hear.

That would be the responsible way to deal with this. I'd gone seven decades without human blood. If I held my breath, I could last two hours. And when I had her alone, there would be no chance of anyone else getting hurt. And no reason to rush through the experience, the monster in my head agreed.

It was sophistry to think that by saving the nineteen humans in this room with effort and patience, I would be less a monster when I killed this innocent girl.

Though I hated her, I knew my hatred was unjust. I knew that what I really hated was myself. And I would hate us both so much more when she was dead.

I made it through the hour in this way-imagining the best ways to kill her. I tried to avoid imagining the actual act. That might be too much for me; I might lose this battle and end up killing everyone in sight. So I planned strategy, and nothing more. It carried me through the hour.

Once, toward the very end, she peeked up at me through the fluid wall of her hair. I could feel the unjustified hatred burning out of me as I met her gaze-see the reflection of it in her frightened eyes. Blood painted her cheeks before she could hide in her hair again, and I was nearly undone.

But the bell rang. Saved by the bell - how cliché. We were both saved. She, saved from death. I, saved for just a short time from being the nightmarish creature I feared and loathed.

I couldn't walk as slowly as I should as I darted from the room. If anyone had been looking at me, they might have suspected that there was something not right about the way I moved. No one was paying attention to me. All human thoughts still swirled around the girl who was condemned to die in little more than an hour's time.

I hid in my car.

I didn't like to think of myself having to hide. How cowardly that sounded. But it was unquestionably the case now.

I didn't have enough discipline left to be around humans now. Focusing so much of my efforts on not killing one of them left me no resources to resist the others. What a waste that would be. If I were to give in to the monster, I might as well make it worth the defeat.

I played a CD of music that usually calmed me, but it did little for me now. No, what helped most now was the cool, wet, clean air that drifted with the light rain through my open windows. Though I could remember the scent of Belle Swan's blood with perfect clarity, inhaling the clean air was like washing out the inside of my body from its infection

I was sane again. I could think again. And I could fight again. I could fight against what I didn't want to be.

I didn't have to go to her home. I didn't have to kill her. Obviously, I was a rational, thinking creature, and I had a choice. There was always a choice.

It hadn't felt that way in the classroom...but I was away from her now. Perhaps, if I avoided her very, very carefully, there was no need for my life to change. I had things ordered the way I liked them now. Why should I let some aggravating and delicious nobody ruin that?

I didn't have to disappoint my father. I didn't have to cause my mother stress, worry...pain. Yes, it would hurt my adopted mother, too. And Esme was so gentle, so tender and soft. Causing someone like Esme pain was truly inexcusable.

How ironic that I'd wanted to protect this human girl from the paltry, toothless threat of Jessica Stanley's snide thoughts. I was the last person who would ever stand as a protector for Annabelle Swan. She would never need protection from anything more than she needed it from me.

Where was Alice, I suddenly wondered? Hadn't she seen me killing the Swan girl in a multitude of ways? Why hadn't she come to help-to stop me or help me clean up the evidence, whichever? Was she so absorbed with watching for trouble with Jasper that she'd missed this much more horrific possibility? Was I stronger than I thought? Would I really not have done anything to the girl?

No. I knew that wasn't true. Alice must be concentrating on Jasper very hard.

I searched in the direction I knew she would be, in the small building used for English classes. It did not take me long to locate her familiar `voice.' And I was right. Her every thought was turned to Jasper, watching his small choices with minute scrutiny.

I wished I could ask her advice, but at the same time, I was glad she didn't know what I was capable of. That she was unaware of the massacre I had considered in the last hour.

I felt a new burn through my body-the burn of shame. I didn't want any of them to know.

If I could avoid Belle Swan, if I could manage not to kill her - even as I thought that, the monster writhed and gnashed his teeth in frustration - then no one would have to know. If I could keep away from her scent...

There was no reason why I shouldn't try, at least. Make a good choice. Try to be what Carlisle thought I was.

The last hour of school was almost over. I decided to put my new plan into action at once. Better than sitting here in the parking lot where she might pass me and ruin my attempt. Again, I felt the unjust hatred for the girl. I hated that she had this unconscious power over me. That she could make me be something I reviled

I walked swiftly - a little too swiftly, but there were no witnesses - across the tiny campus to the office. There was no reason for Belle Swan to cross paths with me. She would be avoided like the plague she was.

The office was empty except for the secretary, the one I wanted to see.

She didn't notice my silent entrance.

"Mrs. Cope?"

The woman with the unnaturally red hair looked up and her eyes widened. It always caught them off guard, the little markers they didn't understand, no matter how many times they'd seen one of us before.

"Oh," she gasped, a little flustered. She smoothed her shirt. 'Silly,' she thought to herself. 'He's almost young enough to be my son. Too young to think of him that way...' "Hello, Edward. What can I do for you?" Her eyelashes fluttered behind her thick glasses.

Uncomfortable. But I knew how to be charming when I wanted to be. It was easy, since I was able to know instantly how any tone or gesture was taken.

I leaned forward, meeting her gaze as if I were staring deeply into her depthless, small brown eyes. Her thoughts were already in a flutter. This should be simple.

"I was wondering if you could help me with my schedule," I said in the soft voice I reserved for not scaring humans.

I heard the tempo of her heart increase.

"Of course, Edward. How can I help?" 'Too young, too young,' she chanted to herself. Wrong, of course. I was older than her grandfather. But according to my driver's license, she was right.

"I was wondering if I could move from my biology class to a senior level science? Physics, perhaps?"

"Is there a problem with Mr. Banner, Edward?"

"Not at all, it's just that I've already studied this material..."

"In that accelerated school you all went to in Alaska, right." Her thin lips pursed as she considered this. 'They should all be in college. I've heard the teachers complain. Perfect 4.0's, never a hesitation with a response, never a wrong answer on a test - like they've found some way to cheat in every subject. Mr. Varner would rather believe that anyone was cheating than think a student was smarter than him... I'll bet their mother tutors them...' "Actually, Edward, physics is pretty much full right now. Mr. Banner hates to have more than twenty-five students in a class…"

"I wouldn't be any trouble."

'Of course not. Not a perfect Cullen.' "I know that, Edward. But there just aren't enough seats as it is..."

"Could I drop the class, then? I could use the period for independent study."

"Drop biology?" He mouth fell open. 'That's crazy. How hard is it to sit through a subject you already know? There must be a problem with Mr. Banner. I wonder if I should talk to Bob about it?' "You won't have enough credits to graduate."

"I'll catch up next year."

"Maybe you should talk to your parents about that."

The door opened behind me, but who ever it was did not think of me, so I ignored the arrival and concentrated on Mrs. Cope. I leaned slightly closer, and held my eyes a little wider. This would work better if they were gold instead of black. The blackness frightened people, as it should.

"Please, Mrs. Cope?" I made my voice as smooth and compelling as it could be - and it could be considerably compelling. "Isn't there some other section I could switch to? I'm sure there has to be an open slot somewhere? Sixth hour biology can't be the only option..."

I smiled at her, careful not to flash my teeth so widely that it would scare her, letting the expression soften my face.

Her heart drummed faster. 'Too young,' she reminded herself frantically. "Well, maybe I could talk to Bob - I mean Mr. Banner. I could see if…"

A second was all it took to change everything: the atmosphere in the room, my mission here, the reason I leaned toward the red-haired woman... What had been for one purpose before was now for another.

A second was all it took for Samantha Wells to open the door and place a signed tardy slip in the basket by the door, and hurry out again, in a rush to be away from school. A second was all it took for the sudden gust of wind through the open door to crash into me. A second was all it took for me to realize why that first person through the door had not interrupted me with her thoughts.

I turned, though I did not need to make sure. I turned slowly, fighting to control the muscles that rebelled against me.

Belle Swan stood with her back pressed to the wall beside the door, a piece of paper clutched in her hands. Her eyes were even wider than usual as she took in my ferocious, inhuman glare.

The smell of her blood saturated every particle of air in the tiny, hot room. My throat burst into flames.

The monster glared back at me from the mirror of her eyes again, a mask of evil.

My hand hesitated in the air above the counter. I would not have to look back in order to reach across it and slam Mrs. Cope's head into her desk with enough force to kill her. Two lives, rather than twenty. A trade.

The monster waited anxiously, hungrily, for me to do it.

But there was always a choice - there had to be.

I cut off the motion of my lungs, and fixed Carlisle's face in front of my eyes. I turned back to face Mrs. Cope, and heard her internal surprise at the change in my expression. She shrank away from me, but her fear did not form into coherent words.

Using all the control I'd mastered in my decades of self-denial, I made my voice even and smooth. There was just enough air left in my lungs to speak once more, rushing through the words.

"Nevermind, then. I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help."

I spun and launched myself from the room, trying not to feel the warm-blooded heat of the girl's body as I passed within inches of it.

I didn't stop until I was in my car, moving too fast the entire way there. Most of the humans had cleared out already, so there weren't a lot of witnesses. I heard a sophomore, D.J. Garrett, notice, and then disregard...

'Where did Cullen come from? it was like he just came out of thin air... There I go, with the imagination again. Mom always says...'

When I slid into my Volvo, the others were already there. I tried to control my breathing, but I was gasping at the fresh air like I'd been suffocated.

"Edward?" Alice asked, alarm in her voice.

I just shook my head at her.

"What the hell happened to you?" Emmett demanded, distracted, for the moment, from the fact that Jasper was not in the mood for his rematch.

Instead of answering, I threw the car into reverse. I had to get out of this lot before Annabelle Swan could follow me here, too. My own personal demon, haunting me... I swung the car around and accelerated. I hit forty before I was on the road. On the road, I hit seventy before I made the corner.

Without looking, I knew that Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper had all turned to stare at Alice. She shrugged. She couldn't see what had passed, only what was coming.

She looked ahead for me now. We both processed what she saw in her head, and we were both surprised.

"You're leaving?" she whispered. The others stared at me now.

"Am I?" I hissed through my teeth.

She saw it then, as my resolve wavered and another choice spun my future in a darker direction.

"Oh."

Belle Swan, dead. My eyes, glowing crimson with fresh blood. The search that would follow. The careful time we would wait before it was safe for us to pull out and start again...

"Oh," she said again. The picture grew more specific. I saw the inside of Chief Swan's house for the first time, saw Belle in a small kitchen with the yellow cupboards, her back to me as I stalked her from the shadows...let the scent pull me toward her...

"Stop!" I groaned, not able to bear more.

"Sorry," she whispered, her eyes wide.

The monster rejoiced.

And the vision in her head shifted again. An empty highway at night, the trees beside it coated in snow, flashing by at almost two hundred miles per hour.

"I'll miss you," she said. "No matter how short a time you're gone."

Emmett and Rosalie exchanged an apprehensive glance.

We were almost to the turn off onto the long drive that led to our home.

"Drop us here," Alice instructed. "You should tell Carlisle yourself."

I nodded, and the car squealed to a sudden stop.

Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper got out in silence; they would make Alice explain when I was gone. Alice touched my shoulder.

"You will do the right thing," she murmured. Not a vision this time - an order. "She's Charlie Swan's only family. It would kill him, too."

"Yes," I said, agreeing only with the last part.

She slid out to join the others, her eyebrows pulling together in anxiety. They melted into woods, out of sight before I could turn the car around.

I accelerated back toward town, and I knew the visions in Alice's head would be flashing from dark to bright like a strobe light. As I sped back to Forks doing ninety, I wasn't sure where I was going. To say goodbye to my father? Or to embrace the monster inside me? The road flew away beneath my tires.


End file.
